I grew up making my own everything. Some of my proudest accomplishments as a kid included building my own IKEA desk using nothing but Swedish instructions, launching a thriving Rainbow Loom bracelet business and helping my dad build the cornhole set our family still uses. As a self-proclaimed DIY queen, if I could make it, I would refuse to buy it.
For students who grew up in the classic American public school system, hands-on creating was pervasive throughout grade school, too. We molded clay structures in art class, engineered spaghetti bridges in Project Lead the Way and made a 5-foot-tall, gravity-defying, cardboard roller coaster in science. Unfortunately, once I entered high school, I was so busy drowning in papers, tests and hefty AP textbooks that the most DIY I did all week were sticky note paper planes I tossed while our history teacher droned on about civilization.
Somewhere between staying up till 4 a.m. perfecting my handmade stationery organizer and graduating high school, I lost my meticulously curated DIY spirit. Chances are, you also unintentionally abandoned carefully cultivated, one-of-a-kind hobbies as the pressures of school engulfed your life. If you’re like me and looking to re-engage your inner crafter, Be A Maker or BeAM, is the perfect place to start.
BeAM at UNC is a “network of makerspaces where you can join the UNC maker community in the design and making of physical objects for education, research, entrepreneurship and recreation.” Located in Murray Hall, Hanes Art Center and Carmichael Residence Hall, the makerspaces consist of countless machines and gear for almost anything you can imagine: 3D printers, embroidery and sewing machines, vinyl and laser cutters, both a metal and wood shop and other extraneous tools.
All you have to do is complete a short in-person BeAM 101 training, accessible to all UNC students, and voila — you have access to all three makerspaces. If you don’t have time to get certified, you can just pay a visit to the Undergraduate Library Makerspace, which allows students to craft to their heart’s extent without a BeAM 101 certification.
Along with being a creative outlet, BeAM serves a very practical purpose for students. When I first arrived at UNC, I was shocked at the school’s outrageous prices. I would constantly find myself putting down merchandise I had picked up in Student Stores the second I glanced at the price tag. I recently got certified in the desktop embroidery machine and made the exact Rameses design on a hoodie I already owned and, guess what? It cost me nothing. Along with my new sweatshirt, I found again that feeling you only get when making something by hand.
Want to gift a special someone a personalized memento? You can use the laser cutter to etch an image onto a piece of acrylic. Accompanied by a revived spirit of creativity comes a sense of resourcefulness — one that is extremely valuable.
The makerspaces can be intimidating; it's a big reasons it's one of UNC’s most underutilized resources. Large machinery, goggles, complicated instructions and a fear of looking stupid in front of others drive students away from trying something new. I was extremely afraid of embarrassing myself in front of the staff and peers, so I avoided the makerspace for weeks on end. I decided to attend last semester's BeAM MakerFest and was blown away by what my peers were doing. I decided to try my hand at the vinyl cutter the next day and never looked back.
Did I struggle at first and maybe embarrass myself a little? Absolutely. But it was entirely worth it. Humans were built to be creators — not just automated bots programmed to consume information 24/7. Somewhere between attending that MakerFest and stepping foot into BeAM, I rediscovered my meticulously curated DIY spirit.
